Internet @ Schools

Lexia Learning Systems, Inc. Ships New Lexia Reading v5 Software

Lexia Learning Systems, Inc. has announced it has shipped Lexia Reading software Version 5, a new release of its research-based reading software for students in grades Pre-K to 12. In an extensive national beta test prior to release, hundreds of teachers and administrators and more than 4,500 students used the new program at 10 elementary, middle, and high schools. Struggling readers who used Lexia Reading v5 during a summer program made between nine and 12 months of grade-level equivalent progress, determined by independent pre and post tests using AGS' "G.R.A.D.E" assessment, the announcement states.

Lexia Reading v5 brings three Lexia titles into one newly-enhanced management system with new reporting features, and an option for delivery over the Web. Lexia began testing the product last spring in different environments in grades K through 12 during the traditional school year, in summer school programs and even in some year-round schools, to ensure that the reporting features and new technology delivery worked properly. The sites were mostly existing Lexia users, who could provide the best insights specifically on the new management reporting features and the online component of the program. Lexia collected feedback from more than 80,000 user sessions of 30 minutes in length on average.

The Lexia Reading v5 collection of software titles are all aligned to national standards. Lexia Early Reading is designed to increase phonological awareness among 4 to 6 year olds; Lexia Primary Reading helps all children ages 5 to 8 master basic reading skills; and Lexia Strategies for Older Students, for students ages 9 to adult, helps older students learn to read through intensive skill practice. Each program provides students with leveled activities that automatically branch in response to students' performance. The activities provide practice in areas of difficulty and move on to more challenging areas when the student is ready.

Lexia Reading v5 is available now in both Macintosh and Windows formats via Lexia's hosted, Web-enabled option, or at the beginning of 2008 as a network version. Internet access is required only for the Web-enabled option. The price will be customized depending on the number of simultaneous users. An implementation of 25 simultaneous users on one of the Lexia Reading programs would cost a school $200 per simultaneous user for a total of $5,000. Typically this would serve a population of 125 students based on a student-to-computer ratio of 5 to 1. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com.